Is there a place to exhibit in Switzerland?
At Polymanga in Lausanne, 79 artists and 34 businesses enter through separate doors

“We have looked at France and Belgium. What about Switzerland, right next door? We assumed it was German-speaking. Is there anywhere we could exhibit?”

Lausanne. A lakeside city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, where two Japanese culture events are held: Polymanga in spring and Japan Impact in winter. Polymanga has one feature that none of the French events we have covered share. The way in is clearly separated between artists and businesses. Below we list only the facts we could confirm on the official site.

1. Polymanga runs for four days, 3 to 6 April 2026

The dates appear at the top of every page of the official site: “3-6 avril (Paques) a Lausanne”. The word in brackets is Easter.

1. Dates: four days, 3 to 6 April 2026
2. Location: Lausanne, French-speaking Switzerland
3. Edition: the 20th
4. Timing: aligned with the Easter holiday
5. Official site languages: French, English and German

Four days is the longest of any event we have covered. Nantes and the autumn Brussels event both run two days, and even Japan Expo in Paris runs four, so this is a long run for its size. That is because it sits on the Easter break. With more days of set-up and stay, you need to budget more for travel and staffing than at other events.

2. The venue is divided into four areas

The exhibitor listing page names the areas directly.

1. Artists’ hall (west)
2. Exhibition hall (west)
3. Exhibition hall XXL (south)
4. The garden

The artists’ hall and the businesses’ exhibition hall are placed in physically separate buildings. This matters if you are considering exhibiting, because the area you enter changes the purpose of the people walking past you.

3. The listings show 79 artists against 34 businesses

The official site publishes the artist list and the exhibitor list separately. As of 27 August 2026, the numbers listed were as follows.

1. Artist listing: 79
2. Exhibitor (business) listing: 34

More than twice as many artists. At Made in Asia in Brussels, the breakdown by category showed 125 for art and decoration against 16 for comics, manga and books, so the direction is the same. Japanese culture events in Europe are shaped less like a corporate trade fair and more like a market of makers.

That said, looking inside those 34 businesses at Polymanga, they are not only figure sellers and merchandise shops. French publishers, a language study abroad operator, an art school and the International Committee of the Red Cross appear among them. There really are exhibitors standing there for reasons other than selling goods.

4. The application category is chosen at the very first step

Applications to Polymanga go through the enquiry form on the official site. The category you choose first is divided as follows.

1. Artist and illustrator
2. Business (Exposant Pro)
3. Live performance, animation and workshops
4. Press and influencers
5. Cosplay
6. Volunteer staff

A Japanese company considering exhibiting would choose the second, business. Besides company name, country and website, the form has a field where you can attach up to five documents. In other words, you can have your pictures seen at the very first contact.

The fee and the stand size are not published on the official site. We will not guess at a going rate. You would ask directly through the form.

5. There is a second event in winter, Japan Impact

The same city also holds an event in February: Japan Impact. Here are the figures the official site publishes, as they stand.

1. Dates: two days, 14 and 15 February 2026
2. Visitors: more than 12,000
3. Volunteers: more than 300
4. Workshops and activities: more than 50
5. Founded: 2009
6. Organiser: the PolyJapan association, a student body

That the organiser is a student body is worth noting. An event run by more than 300 volunteers means the people in charge change every year. The person you spoke to last year is not there the next. Which is precisely why a record of coming back matters on the exhibitor’s side.

6. Reasons to choose Lausanne, and reasons not to

We will write both honestly. First, the reasons not to.

1. The scale is small. Japan Expo in Paris has more than 800 exhibitors; Polymanga has 34 businesses
2. The four-day run raises accommodation and staffing costs
3. Switzerland is expensive, and lodging weighs more than in other countries

Now the reasons to choose it.

1. Only 34 businesses also means you are less likely to be buried among them
2. The official site is in French, English and German, so working in English goes through easily
3. Lausanne is French-speaking, so the materials you prepared for Paris or Brussels carry over
4. With one event in spring (April) and one in winter (February), neither clashes with the French autumn events

We ourselves have exhibited eleven times at Japan Expo and similar events in France. Of everything those eleven taught us, we will offer one thing. There has never been a year where the first appearance produced a result. The approach came from the other side once it was clear we had stood in the same place again. At events where the staff change every year, that effect is larger still.

Frequently asked questions

Q1. How much is the exhibitor fee?

It is not published. As of 27 August 2026, the official site carries only the application categories and the enquiry form, with neither the fee nor the stand size shown. You would ask directly through the form. We will not guess at a going rate in this article.

Q2. Can a Japanese company exhibit?

There is a “business” category among the application options, and nothing on the site excludes applicants from Japan. The form has a field for your country. The site is in three languages, so correspondence in English is possible.

Q3. Should we apply as an artist or as a business?

If you are coming as a company, then as a business. That said, if the artist who drew your manga is travelling with you, the artist category has its own meaning. The artists’ hall is where people walk who came to watch someone draw. If your purpose is to be known, choosing the area where people are works better.

Q4. Polymanga or Japan Impact?

If you choose by published figures, Japan Impact. The organisers state more than 12,000 visitors. Polymanga does not publish a visitor figure. But Japan Impact runs two days, and its exhibitor categories are not divided as finely as Polymanga’s. Polymanga if you are settling in as a company, Japan Impact if you want to look first.

Q5. We cannot spare staff for four days.

You do not have to stand there for the whole run. But in that case you need something that works while nobody is standing there. A manga someone can read and take home keeps telling the same story to people in the aisle while your staff are in another meeting. The longer the event, the more that difference shows.

You can see our actual work on manga for overseas audiences. See our international manga work

A small event is not a disadvantage. What matters is whether you can pick a place where you will not be buried.